Fire-extinguishing attachment for motion-picture machines



. UNITED ASTA-Tiss PATEN fr oFFlca GEORGE LFARRAR, or COLUMBUS, 011:10.v

Application led March 2, 1925. Serial No. 12,523.

' 15 lower magazines of the machine, whereby in the event of the filmcatching on fire, as

it frequently does when exposed unduly'to the lensand lighttemperatures, to .confine i the fire to a comparatively sm'all portionof the film, which can be readily repaired', and prevent the lire fromreaching the main body of the lilm contained within either of saidmagazines.

More specifically, my invention consists 'Y 25 .in placing the filmbetween relatively separable re extinguishing rollers, which rollersare. mounted in movable supports disposed within the housing of themachine adjacent to the magazine entrance slots, the arrangement beingsuch that if the film catches on tire-only that portion thereof withinthev housing of the machine will be damaged, as the extinguishingrollers will prevent the firefrom reaching the lilm within themagazines.- 1.2. v.

Another object-'ofgnthe invention rests in the provision of means formaintaining the extinguishing rollers in separated positions when thefilm is being threaded through the guides of 'the machine, and inmounting the rollers in connection with 'resiliently ressed guidesor'boxes which serve normaly to maintain the rollers in close frictionalengagement with both sides of the film;

With these and other objects in view, as will appear as the descriptionproceeds, the

` v ."inventlon consists in the novel features of construction,combinations of elements and arrangements of (parts hereinafter to be@fully described an pointed out in the apj pended claims. Y

FARRAR, a v

and State'- v motion In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is a viewshowing diagrammatically a motion picture projection. machine` andillustrating the application thereto of the film engaging and firearresting mechanism comprising the present invention,

Figure 2 is a plan view of one of the units comprising said mechanism,v

Figure 3 is a side elevation thereof,

Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view on the line 4-4 ofFigure 2,

Figure 5 is a transverse section 0n the line 5 5 of Figure 2, and

Figure 6 is a similar view on the line 6-6 of Figure 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawings the numeral l designatesgenerally a picture projecting machine which has been illustrated to asufficient extent to indicate the arrangement and use of the attachmentscomprising the present invention. As shown, the machine includes asupporting pedestal 2, upon which is mounted a housing or casing 3, andlocated within the housing is a longitudinally extending lens` tube 4,situated in registration with an aperture plate 5 and the condensinglens structure 6 of the lamp housing 7. The outer end of the tube-4cooperates with the usual rotating shutter 8, and the housing isequipped with upper and lower reel magazines 9 and l0 respectively.These magazines are provided with reel entries or slots 11, throughwhich the motion picture lm passes from the housing 3 -into y themagazines, and arranged within the housing 3 are guide sprockets 12,4around which the iilm is trained," as usual, so as t'o pass between theaperture plate 5 and thev ilm guiding plate 13 `located at the inner endof the tube 4. This construction is common in motion picture machinesgenerally and therefore a more extended description relative vtheretohas been omitted.

Due to the intense`heat of the light projected from the lens structurenand thev concentration of the light rays on the film,

it ,frequently happens that if the progress of the lilm through thehousing is interfered with in any manner the heat concentratedthereon'will result in causing the film to take fire, and because of thecombustible nat/uref of the materials from-Which the film is formed, thefire is rapidly transmitted, in, fact, almost instantaneously, to thebody of film contained in the magazines 9 and 10.

This may result in a fire of considerable-' proportionsA and result ininjury to the oper-' ator of the machine and frequently to the patronsof the theater in which themachine f is. located.

The present invention provides an 'auto-l matically operating structurefor preventing the Vfire resulting from the burning of the film in thehousing from reaching the fihn in the magazines. To accomplish this in ya simple and practical manner I provide the housing adjacent each of thefilm slots 11 With automatically operating fire extinguishingattachments by-means of which the progress of a film fire Within thehousing is arrested and the likelihood of a large fire eliminated. Theattachments are of identical construction and therefore a descriptionblocks 18 are pressed forwardly by means of springs 21, 'the forwardmovement of said blocks being limited by means of rigid strips 22secured to the Walls 16. By this construction it Will-be noted that therollers 20 are mounted in vertical alignment for rotation abouthorizontal axes and that the rollers are permitted to move horizontallya limited distance governed bv the contraction of the springs 21 and thelimiting ac: tion of the strips 22.

Slidably mounted upon the plate 14 by the provision of dove tailed' ribs23 is a block 24, which has its side Walls recessed as at 25 for thelongitudinal sliding reception of shaft journals 2G, in Which aremounted for rotation the ends of shafts 27 which carry rollers 28corresponding in construction to the rollers 2O and arranged forregistration With said rollers 20. Springs 29 are mounted in' the recess25 and normally force the journals forwardly, this forward movementbeing limited by fixed strips 31 carried in connection With the sideWalls of the block 24. By this construction the normal influence of thesprings 21 and 29y is to maintain the rollers 20 and 28 in closerelative engagement.

Projecting from the block 24 are guide pins 31, which extend looselythrough openings 32 formed in the rear Wall 33 of the` plate 14.Surrounding the pins 31 and situjrated .between the Wall 33 and theblock 24 are expansion springs 34 which are materially stronger than thejournal springs 21 and29l and 'it is the office of the springs 34 toforce the vrollers20-and 28 together and to 'applyzlfrictional pressureto the film passing therebetween.

I- *Will'be'see'n that'in ther event of the .film Within the yhousingcatching' fire,`the

progress of this' fire* Will be arrested by the .smothering or'pinchingvaction of the rollers 2() and 28. While each attachment may bel'providedjvvith; but a'single pair ofl coopera- ,tive I rollers andmaylperform efficiently',

nevertheless, a second pair has been provided so as to render theactionof the at-` tachment doubly effective and positive. It 1 will be seenlthat by reason of the softpliablev material from Vwhich the rollers areformed orcoated quite a. Wide surface Will be presented to-both sides ofthe film which insures extinguishment of thefire. In normal operation`the rollersare in constant engagement With thefilm as shown in' Figure3 so that positive operation is assured. The light springs 21 and 29 arevemployed to compensate for slight irregularities in the thickness ofthefilm. Frequently film is patched to mend breaks, and this results indouble thickness, and therefore,'by the provision of the lighter springsthe rollers are permitted to separate slightly Without regard to themain springs 34 to allow the film to pass throughv the rollers Withoutundue friction. When it is desired to thread the film through themachine 1 provide means for maintaining the rollers relatively separatedso th at they Will not interfere with the operator in drawing the filmthrough the guides contained Within the housing 3. This is accomplishedby moving the block .24 rearwardly along its'guide ribs 23 andcompressing' the springs 34, the side Walls of the block being providedWith recesses or depressions 35 by means of Which the block `may beconveniently gripped between the fingers of the operator. Then, on topof the block 24 is a resilient catch 36, shown more particularly inFigure 4. y This catch is provided with a vertical edge capable ofcooperating with a simliar face 37 provided on said block to hold thelatter in it-s retracted position. 4The latch or catch 36 thus serves toretain the rollers separated and leaves the operator free to work withboth hands in the threading of the film. After the Vfilm has beenthreaded through the machine, the catch or latch is lifted and the blockresponds to thc pressure of the springs 34 and returns for cooperationwith the rollers 20.

It will thus be seen that the present invention provides' simpie andpositive means capable of operating reliably to extinguish llO ` filmlire iii the housing of a motion picture motion picture machinescomprising a frame,

a block slidably mounted on vsaid frame, a stationary roller mounted onsaid frame,a second roller cooperative with said rst named roller andcarried .by said block,

spring means acting on lsaid block to malintain .said rollers in mutualContact, and

supplementalspring means cooperative with said rollers for permitting ofslight relative vseparation independently of said first named spring`means.

2. Aiie extinguishing attachment for motion picture machines comprisinga relatively fixed roller and a movable. roller between wliicli the lmpasses, major spring means for maintaining said rollers in mutualcontact with. said film, and` minor spring means cooperative withh'saidrollers for permitting of slight relative separation on the part of'said rollers independently of said major spring means.

The' device operates Without man- I 3. A fire extinguishing attachmentfor mot/ion picture machines consisting of v.a frame, a pair ofrelatively stationary rollers mounted on said frame, a block slidablymounted on said frame, a pairof rollers' carried by said block andarranged for cooperation with said first named rollers, nia-l ]or springmeans between said frame and said block serving normally to maintainsaid rollers in `mutual contact with a film passing between them, ,andminor spring meanscooperative with said rollers to permit of slightrelative movement therebetween independentlyof said major spring means,

fl. A fire extinguishing attachment for motion picture machinesconsisting y of aframe,` a relatively stationary roller mounted on saidframe, a support slidably mounted on said frame, a roller carried bySaid support and cooperative with said irst named roller, `separationmeans between said frame and support and serving to maintain saidrollers in mutual engagement, and a lock-I ing device carried by saidframe and cooperative Witli said support for maintaining said rollersout of engagement. In testimony whereof I aliix my signature.

' GEORGE Lt FARRAR.

